Frontrunner
by Shuiro Ecstacy
Summary: Riku suggests a time-killing race while he and Kairi wait for Sora's return with supplies. His prize is one wish, and he won't waste it. SET :: Beginning of KH.


**A/N**: This is my very first Kingdom Hearts fanfiction. I got the game for Christmas and I've got three worlds down so far. I love these characters, and I thought Riku had a little something for Kairi at the beginning. Maybe just a little. So I portrayed it. Enjoy.

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"Sora isn't back with the supplies yet?"

Kairi sighed. "Nope. He came up to me earlier, totally lost. I had to tell him how to knock a _coconut_ down from a tree." She giggled. "It's a good thing he's not traveling on his own, huh?"

Riku grinned. "Yeah." He leaned against the post and watched Kairi complete her Thalassa Shell necklace. As he observed, he smiled.

_She's pretty focused_, he thought. _She must be really excited about this trip. Offering to do half the work on the raft, preparing the food – well, once Sora decides to bring it to her._

Speaking of which…

"How long have you been waiting for Sora?"

"About half an hour," Kairi replied without taking her eyes off her work. Riku tilted his head so that it touched the post.

"And he just needs coconuts?"

She shook her head, pocketing her necklace. "He said he still needed to find another fish, but with all the noise Tidus and Wakka were making today, I don't think he'll find one anytime soon." She sighed and turned to face him. "The _one day_ for them to play Blitzball in the water…"

Riku chuckled, crossing his arms. She gave a half-hearted smile before looking out to the ocean. He watched her face; the life in her eyes went wild when they set on the water, especially late in the day as it was now. The light coming from beyond the horizon lit up her skin, and the sun shone in her eyes with a brilliant sparkle. Riku was mesmerized by the way a sunset could wrap itself around one delicate girl and make her twice as beautiful.

"Riku?"

He blinked, and she was looking at him oddly. He blushed, but his expression was calm.

"Did you say something?"

"No… you just looked kinda… lost. You okay?"

She smiled at him, and he returned the gesture.

"Mhmm."

"Well that's good. A sick captain just won't do."

"Captain?"

"Oh let's face it," Kairi said with a grin, "Sora would probably drop dead if he tried to be in charge. He talks tough, and he might be faster than you in races, but I don't think he knows how to be a leader just yet."

Riku rolled his eyes and smiled. "He beat me once, Kairi."

"And how did that happen?"

"I… tripped?"

Kairi raised an eyebrow, and he laughed.

"Fine, Miss Attitude, why don't _we_ race, then?"

She blinked. "We, who?"

"You and I. Right now." He stretched his arms out, then placed his hands behind his head. "Or we could wait another half hour for Sora to show up."

Kairi's hands found her hips. "Even if he did take that long, one race won't make up for the time."

"You know you want to," he sang tauntingly.

She laughed. "All right. What are the conditions?"

"Hm, hadn't thought of that."

She looked thoughtful. "Well, how about the loser grants the other person one wish? You know, kinda like a genie. It has to be doable, though."

Riku nodded. "Okay, that sounds fair. Let's hurry up in case Sora has miraculously found a way to speed up time."

Kairi laughed as they began jogging to the starting point. They had no judge, so honesty was all they could count on. Neither had ever cheated in a race before, and neither saw a reason to start now. Both, however, were positive they were going to win anyway.

Riku was the one to count off. He counted down from three, and just before "one" uttered from his lips, his eyes darted in her direction. The pinkish glow from the sky was perfect on her face. Her expression was alert, as always while participating in a challenge, and determined. The race hadn't even started and she was already zoning everything out. He smirked.

"One."

The speed of light had nothing on them. That's what it felt like, especially with the wind traveling with them. Kairi jumped from treetop to treetop, up walls and around corners, and Riku sped through the sand, his toes barely touching the ground so the earth wouldn't cause his speed to falter.

He reached the tree, leapt from the last treetop to tap the gold star, then made his way off that particular cliff to speed to the "end" point. At the last few seconds, he let his arms fly out behind him, and realized he was picking up greater speed through the dry sand.

Ten feet before the wall, his feet halted, his knees bent, his head lowered, and he sprung up immediately, landing perfectly with the tips of his fingers balancing him on the ground. He stood, straightened his back, turned around, and realized…

He was alone.

Satisfied, he looked up to the other side of the area. Kairi hadn't even come back around the corner yet. A quick thinker, Riku took the opportunity to look around. He jumped behind a small bolder, peeking through the space between it and the wall. Kairi was reaching the cliff, and she jumped from the final treetop to the edge, a proud look on her face.

He almost didn't want to take it away from her, but a race was a race…

"Don't look so smug."

Kairi gasped and turned her head. Riku sat on top of the bolder, swinging his legs before jumping down in front of her. She crossed her arms as he approached.

"Fine, you win," she mumbled. Riku chuckled, and her face slowly brightened. He sighed and fell back, letting his arms and legs fall in whichever direction as his eyes met the clouds above him. Her head interrupted his view, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

Kairi stood above him with her hands behind her back. "What about the wish?"

"Hm?"

"The wish. I have to grant you a wish."

Oh. Right.

Riku propped himself up on his elbows, tilting his head.

"A wish…"

He knew what he wanted, but was it worth it? There were so many "what if?" situations to be considered…

What if Sora showed up, arms full of supplies and a face full of shock? What if she walked away, appalled and disgusted? What if she refused to be friends with him afterwards?

What if she did it?

Her eyes were still on his face, patient and aware. The sky was a little darker now, but her beauty was as clear as ever. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her; the breeze settled on her form, her clothes and hair getting caught and slightly pulling in one direction. Twisting a piece of grass between two of his fingers, he looked away.

"A kiss."

She was silent, and he couldn't bear to see the look on her face. He had been right. She wouldn't want it. She wouldn't give it. Their friendship was over. She wouldn't understand the desperate feelings in that little organ under his ribcage.

She hadn't gone away yet, which was somewhat a good sign, but he still couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kairi." He started to get up. "I'll go find Sora so I can –"

"Okay."

Her voice caught his sentence, his attention, and his gaze. She was standing up straight now, and he could barely see her face in the growing shade. But her voice was light and calm, and he had heard the smile in that one simple word. The corners of his lips twitched.

"Are you sure?"

She kneeled next to him, then sat sideways with one arm over his body. She leaned in until she was close enough for him to see her face, and she nodded.

"I'm sure."

He smiled, lifting one gloved hand to caress the side of her face. His fingers reached her hair, and she closed her eyes as a warm tingle moved down her spine. Her eyelids lifted again, and she reached forward with her own hand to brush silver locks out of his eyes. Her hand rested on his cheek, and she leaned down until the tip of her nose rested lightly on his. She smiled, and her voice was a very, very soft whisper.

"Your wish is my command."

Riku felt his smile form to match hers, and her lips softly pressed against his. His heart raced, pounding against his chest. His free hand gripped the ground next to him, and he sighed into the kiss.

Their lips were locked gently, but no one could have pulled them away from each other. They lost the island, the night sky, the cool air around them. All they knew was bliss and perfection, and the goosebumps and shivers they were getting had nothing to do with the chilly wind.

Riku's lips moved slowly against hers, and she boldly responded with the same movements. He was careful, gentle; he wanted nothing more than to keep her here forever. He wanted her to love him, but knew it wouldn't happen. He only got one wish.

"Guys?"

His eyes shot open. Her lips parted in a gasp. They pulled apart quickly, scrambling to their feet before Sora reached their spot.

"There you are. Kairi, what happened? Was I really gone that long?"

Sora's face was difficult to read, though neither of the other two was really paying attention. Sora blinked, then waved his hand in front of Kairi's face.

"Hello? You still alive?"

Kairi blinked repeatedly, then nodded, trying to smile. Sora sighed and shook his head.

"Well, I left the rest of the supplies in the bag on the raft. I'm going home." He started walking in the shore's direction, waving at them. "See you guys in the morning!"

Kairi waved back. She turned to face Riku, who stared at her calmly. His eyes hadn't left her face since they'd opened. She giggled and moved forward, sliding her arms around his waist. Her head rested on his chest, and her eyelids dropped.

He was almost surprised, but he wouldn't let this moment slip out of his hands. His arms folded around her shoulders, embracing her tightly. Before he could let go, she balanced on her toes and smiled against his ear.

"I'm looking forward to our rematch tomorrow."


End file.
